The Salina Journal from Salina, Kansas · Page 19

THE SALINA JOURNAL MONEY FRIDAY, MAY 9, 1997 C5 T CHICAGO BOARD OF TRADE STANDING TALL Platform shoes help brokers, clerks be seen on trading floor n By HILLARY CHURA The Associated Press C HICAGO — At 6-foot-2, Guy Radossevich looks like the kind of guy who couldn't have a bad seat at the movies. But in the hurly-burly of Chicago's Board of Trade, he doesn't stand out — even with his garish jacket and frenetic body language. He relies on platform shoes. Brokers, traders and clerks are wearing special black shoes with rubber soles that boost their height by up to 3 inches. The lift helps them see above the flailing arms, flashing hands and bobbing heads on the trading floor, which is big enough to hold a Boeing 747. "I can't see over the brokers in front of me," complained Radosse- vich, who works in the frenzied 30-year U.S. Treasury bond pit. "Even with the shoes, I can barely see — especially when it's busy." Board of Trade workers generally arrive in dressy shoes and The Associated Press Keith Chmieleski, the "shoe guy" at the Chicago Board of Trade, shows off a pair of the shoes Thursday that he sells to traders. change to more comfortable ones so they can stand for seven hours a day. They leave their street shoes in the shoe room, where Keith Chmieleski has been tak- ing care of them since 1987. That's where he also has been selling the special Mason Shoes, made in Chippewa Falls, Wis., since 1991. He estimates he's sold 1,500 pairs; 250 last year and 270 already this year. He charges $89 for the shoes and up to $65 to add a 11/2-inch sole. He says he makes a slight profit but would not be more specific. "They're just trying to catch up to the guy next to them," he said. "Somebody gets half an inch, and the guy standing next to him gets an inch or an inch- and-a-half. It doesn't stop." Well, it does, at three. Chmieleski said adding more than l'/a inches to the shoes, which already have a 11/2-inch sole, would make them unstable. All Chmieleski's business comes by word of mouth, and he said people visiting from Japan and London have bought his shoes as well. The shoes are against the rules four blocks away at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, but that hasn't stopped workers from ordering them, he said. "They tell me they wear long pants to cover them," he said. T BANKRUPTCIES Kansans set record for bankruptcies Credit card debt is the biggest culprit for 1,306 who filed in April By The Associated Press WICHITA — Following a national trend, more Kansans filed for bankruptcy in April than in any other month in state history. Last year, bankruptcy filings in the state and across the nation were up dramatically from the previous year, and 1997 is shaping up to be another record year. "This is kind of a tidal wave coast to coast," said Sam Gerdano, executive director of the American Bankruptcy Institute based in Alexandria, Va., a nonprofit research and education group. By far, credit card debt is the biggest culprit. In many cases, it is the exclusive debt in the filings, said Michael Morris, a Wichita attorney who handles bankruptcy cases for the firm of Klenda Mitchell Austerman & Zuercher. "I don't see any end in sight," Morris said. "I've seen cases with $100,000 in credit-card debt on 10 cards or more." In April, 1,306 Kansans filed for bankruptcy, up almost 24 percent from the 1,056 bankruptcies filed in April 1996, according to figures from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas. Bankruptcies in the state rose from 9,153 ill 1995 to 11.316 in 1996 — the third consecutive year of increases. A strong economy, driven by consumer spending, has lifted consumers' confidence levels, spurring them to spend more. The problem is, many are doing more than their share, adding to their household debt at levels higher than their income gains. Nationwide, 95 percent of the bankruptcies were filed by individuals and 5 percent by businesses, Gerdano said. Not surprisingly, credit-card companies, banks and retailers issuing cards are reporting higher levels of bad debt. Alarmed, they are pushing Congress to tighten the exemptions on property that debtors are allowed to keep in bankruptcy cases, asking for uniform exemptions across the country. Bankruptcy, they say, is too easy a way out. T AVIATION Growth in aviation industry slows After big increase in '96, planemakers are adding fewer to payroll By The Associated Press WICHITA — After a virtual jobs bonanza in 1996, America's plane- makers say job creation in their industry is starting to slow. Boeing, Cessna, Learjet and Raytheon added more than 4,700 employees in 1996, which amounted to a 15 percent increase in employment. Through the first four months of 1997, the companies added 1,250 jobs for a combined total of 36,700 people on the payroll, up 3.5 percent from the beginning of the year. Boeing's Wichita plant added 3,200 jobs in 1996. Boeing has added about 800 jobs in Wichita so far in 1997, and company spokesman Dick Ziegler said he doesn't expect big gains the rest of the year. "We'll probably see some very modest increases to meet our skill mix needs," Ziegler said. Boeing Wichita workers are producing nose, fuselage and tail sections for both the existing and next-generation 737 passenger jets. Production of the heavily redesigned next-generation 737, which is now at 12 per month, is scheduled to reach 21 a month in late fall. Boeing also is developing new versions of the 757 and 767 passenger jets to go along with existing models, and components of those planes will be manufactured in Wichita. Raytheon Aircraft Co. has 375 positions open that it would like to fill tomorrow, if it could find the right people. "The majority of our job openings are for critical skills engineers, those with experience in design, weight and structures," said Pat Zerbe, spokeswoman for Raytheon. Jim Schwarzenberger, who is heading up the Wichita Area Chamber of Commerce's Flying in Formation program to recruit employees, said the need for engineers is universal. Raytheon's engineering needs are particularly critical since the company has three new airplanes in the development stage. The company is just beginning production of the T-6 primary trainer for the U.S. Air Force and Navy. Raytheon also has two all-new business jets under development, the Premier I and the Hawker Horizon, and is expected to announce plans for a third business jet later this year. Raytheon actually has about 140 fewer employees on the payroll now than at the beginning of the year, but Zerbe said the number of people who are working is about the same because the company has hired additional contract workers on a temporary basis. ACTIVATION & TELETAC J0D ALSO!FIRST2 1I2PKKM Some restrictions apply. At Designs by DESIGNS by Jse Y#ur Receipt from Diunson NEW LAWN STARTER Covers 5.000 sq. ft. 10906 3008349 Authorized Dealer for '•Wireless Solutions WHEN... AT THE LOWEST fftlCE IN TOIV/V/ CU. 1AVA ROCK Red or black- your cholcel 40 LB. BAG POniHG SOIL CYPRESS MULCH 40LB°* BAG TOP SOIL 23922/5 YOUR CHOICE! 40LB.BAG COW MANURE ARKANSAS RIVER ROCK 1371715 ^feyfO 2 CU. FT. BARK YOUR CHOICE! 33 LB. BAG WHITE MARBLE SLB. BERMUDA GRASS SEED 2389963 y x so' PLASTIC SHEETING , Black. HMO50 1276286 BR LAWN SPREADER 50 Lb. capacity. Non corroding hopper. SB50P 2181006 WEED STOP GARDENING FABRIC 3'x50'. BUS350 3SO272I S LB. 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